Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal is the main gateway in Singapore to Bintan Island and i have been using the same terminal for no less than ten years; which means i am pretty familiar with what it has to offer.
The one thing i always noticed yet never explored all this while was the room that was on my left whenever i cleared the immigration counters; the exclusive Emerald Lounge. To be frank, i would never have stepped in as the cheapo in me would always choose the cheaper ferry tickets.
However, in my recent trip to Bintan with my polytechnic friends, the 'purchaser' suggested taking the emerald class seat as the price differential wasn't big and since there was no objection, we went for the VIP class that came with access to the Emerald Lounge at the terminal too!
Now, compared to the massive crowd outside waiting to board the ferry, the scene within the lounge was vastly different! It was quieter with ample sofa chairs that literally screamed of comfort.
There's also free WiFi for those who need to get connected to upload photos of their trip; just remember to take the slip of paper that contained the password connecting your device with the world wide web.
Thirsty? Get your water from the hot / cold water dispenser and for those people who need to read their newspapers, get hold of the complimentary Straits Times!
Have you noticed the pigeon-hole boxes? They were phone charging stations for those who need the emergency help for a dying battery! Keys can be signed out from the reception counter!
Let's venture further in where there were more seats for our noisy group; put a bunch of marketing students in one quiet area and you can imagine the noise that were generated.
Dissatisfied with just plain hot and cold water? Fret not, there's a nescafe machine for black coffee, espresso, latte, mocha and milo!
Prefer tea? Get your pick from the Dilmah tea bags and you could have your tea with packs of traditional local biscuits (i think the brand is Khong Guan)! All complimentary as part of the higher priced ferry ticket!
A computer for you to check your office email before you embark on your relaxed beach vacation to Bintan or even write a will in case, you know, something happens to the ferry you are on. No harm to prepare in advance right?
Clean toilets within the lounge too!
Emerald class seat holders get priority to board the ferry and there's even a separate entrance connecting the lounge directly to the berth!
Normal class ticket holders would actually wait till emerald class ticket holders have boarded the ferry before their gate is opened. That's really some luxurious shit in my opinion although there's more to come.
Unlike normal class ticket holders who had to jostle for better seats (near the window) or bunch of seats where friends and family members could be seated together, you are assigned seat numbers as emerald ticket holders.
Just like business and first class tickets for the airlines, there's a separate section purely for the emerald class. I felt pampered already when i stepped in even though i don't think i would get use to it; still prefer to save money on 'transportation' when i am overseas.
Seats were spacious and came with the meal tray! There's a pretty big television in the middle and it's showing Toy Story (can't remember which episode), in high definition!
While normal tickets would get you a small bottle of mineral water, emerald tickets would allow you coffee, tea and even can drinks! I went with a cold can of Heaven and Earth Ice Lemon Tea!
Hungry for more? Get your selection here.
Didn't manage to gain much juice for your phone battery at the Emerald Lounge? Charge your mobile devices further using the multi-device charging station in the ferry!
I only realised there was free WiFi in the ferry for emerald class ticket holders when i was on my journey back home (honestly, who can notice the sticker with the password when it was pasted on the tv?) but i guess i didn't lose much since the connection was extremely bad.
So how was the treatment at Bintan's Bandar Bentan Telani ferry terminal for emerald class ticket holders? When everyone was waiting in a long queue to have their baggage scanned, you would be able to gain priority entry to scan your bags when you show your tickets to the counter above.
Other than that, the executive lounge was crowded with people and i suspected non-emerald class ticket holders may have gained access since no one was at the entrance confirming your tickets.
No coffee dispenser, no biscuits; only tea bags and instant coffee. Oh well, we still got priority embarkation. Oh, before i forget, you do get priority disembarkation too!
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To Buy Your Emerald Class Tickets
For my two days, one night trip
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